World Languages Collection (WLC)

The Newark Public Library maintains collections in selected world languages to serve the Greater Newark Area’s diverse population. These collections include fiction and nonfiction in the languages listed below:

Portuguese

Spanish

Children’s books can be found at the end of the adult section in each collection.

The Portuguese collection, which is a small collection, is housed at the Van Buren Branch. The extensive Spanish collection is located in the Sala Hispanoamericana, a reading room and reference area on the first floor of the Main Library, staffed by bilingual (English-Spanish) personnel at all times. Additional smaller Spanish language collections are available at some branch libraries. Please check with library staff members at your local branch to locate Spanish language collections you may need.

Searching the Catalog for WLC Materials

World languages materials are listed in the Library’s online catalog. If you wish to find materials in a particular language, please click here.

Interlibrary Loans

Individual Loans

The Newark Public Library is pleased to fill title, author, and subject requests for individual items from its language collections. Such items are lent for one month.

On April 21, 2008, the Newark Public Library reinstituted bulk loans of books in world languages to New Jersey libraries. In 2016 and 2017, most world language collections were deaccessioned, and dispersed to other public libraries in New Jersey. The Newark Public Library still makes bulk loans of Spanish-language books to New Jersey libraries, and the following limitations pertain to those bulk loans:

A bulk loan is composed of 25 books in one language.

Each library will be allowed to borrow up to 100 books in a given language, in increments of 25 (25, 50, 75…).

The loan period will be three months.

Loans may be renewed for one additional month only.

Libraries may borrow up to a maximum of 300 World Languages Collection items (12 bulk loans) at any given time.

The requesting library is responsible for borrowed materials from the time they leave the supplying library until they have been returned and received by the supplying library. If damage or loss occurs, the requesting library is responsible for compensation or replacement.

School libraries are welcome to send us individual item requests as well as to participate in the bulk loan program. Please know that NPL uses Velocity, the statewide delivery system. If your library is not a participant, please call the ILL office at 973-733-7768 to discuss delivery options.

Need Additional Information?

If you have questions regarding The Newark Public Library’s World Languages Collection, please call 973-733-3637 or email ibetancourt@npl.org.